Sat, 05 Jan 2019 06:37:50 -0800WeeblyMon, 11 Sep 2017 14:21:09 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/debate-question-what-is-more-joyful-to-muslim-parents-the-birth-of-a-boy-or-the-birth-of-a-girl-muhammad-can-help-us-find-the-answerWikipedia observes that Aqiqah is "widely performed" among Muslims, and specifically is "the Islamic tradition of the sacrifice of an animal on the occasion of a child's birth." It has been done by at least some Muslims to keep children "safe from harm." Let us consider some pertinent statements that Muhammad made about this practice. Narrated Salman bin Amir Ad-Dabbi: I heard Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) saying: “Aqiqa is to be offered for a (newly born) boy, so slaughter (an animal) for him, and relieve him of his suffering.”(Hadith No. 5472, Book of Aqiqa, Sahih Bukhari, Vol. 7). Muhammad made no mention of baby girls here. At the time of this statement, girls were not on his mind as being worthy of aqiqah.But that was not always the case. Yusuf bin Mahak narrated that they entered upon Hafsah bint Abdur Rahman to ask her about Aqiqa. She informed them that Aishah (RA) had informed her that Allah’s Messenger (PBUH) ordered them that for a boy two sheep were sufficient, and for a girl one sheep.”(Hadith No. 1513, Chapters on Sacrifice, Jami’ At-Tirmidhi, Vol. 3). Here now Muhammad does think of baby girls, but believes that any aqiqah done on their behalf merits only half as many animals being slaughtered as that for baby boys.Debate Question 2: Did the prophet of Islam regard the birth of a baby boy as being more significant than the birth of a baby girl?

The Announcement of the Birth of a Girl in Iran(From the fine movie, "The Circle")

UPON HEARING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE BIRTH OF A GIRL

]]>Mon, 02 May 2016 20:29:49 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/debating-allah-himself-regarding-marital-harmony-for-wives-husbandsAllah definitely has directives He wants obeyed regarding how spouses should behave toward each other. Most famously, he declared that (Quran 4:34) "Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - advise them, forsake them in bed, and strike them..." [More on "strike them" in posts below]Now if the goal is marital happiness, our first debate question is "Does it truly make sense to make one spouse needing to be obedient, that is, in some sense, needing to be a slave of the other?"****************************************************************************************************************************Allah would also declare:"Your women are your fields, so go into your fields whichever way you like . . . ." (Quran 2:223)

Would marital harmony have been advanced to a greater degree if Allah had instead declared:

"Your women are your friends, so go into your friends whichever way they like!"or, talking not to just one sex, but instead to both:"A wife and a husband should be physically intimate in ways that each other enjoys."****************************************************************************************************************************Evidently, Allah and his angels are particularly upset when a wife refuses to have sex with her husband. If this is the case, this verse indicates that the wife is wrong and that the husband is right:

"Narrated by Abu Huraira

Allah's Messenger (saws) said, "If a husband calls his wife to his bed (i.e. to have sex) and she refuses and causes him to sleep in anger, the Angels will curse her till morning." Our Debate Question: If the wife does not feel like sex, does she deserve to be cursed by angels?

What is particularly telling here is that the angels who curse the reluctant wives are male angels. Allah will not have female angels; in Quran 53:27 it is written "Lo! it is those who disbelieve in the Hereafter who name the angels with the names of females."******************************************************************************************************************************************************************************Turning our attention to inheritance, a number of Islamic Inheritance calculators all indicate that if an only child unfortunately dies leaving only his 2 parents as heirs, the father shall inherit twice the amount of the mother. Below are the results of one online Islamic Inheritance Calculator (other calculators yield the same result):

Does this arrangement seem to you to be unfair to the mother, she receiving less than half of the inheritance of her husband?

In Quran 21:7, we read that Allah explicitly indicates that he did not choose any female prophets: "And we sent not before you, [O, Muhammad] except MEN to whom we revealed [the message] so ask the people of the message if you do not know." Similarly, Quran 13:38 states: "And verily We sent messengers (to mankind) before you, and We appointed for them wives and offspring," [the messengers are thus married men].Why did Allah refrain from having any female prophets? We must recall that the Quran indicates that Allah favors men over women (Quran 4:34) and that Allah has made men a degree above women (Quran 2:228). Our Debate Question is: Does the fact that Allah chose not to have a single female prophet affect how Muslim men regard Muslim women, and how Muslim women regard their own capabilities?

]]>Sun, 14 Jun 2015 22:34:36 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/in-islam-a-mahram-is-a-relative-that-one-is-not-permitted-to-marry-muhammad-has-forbidden-all-muslim-women-from-traveling-more-than-a-2-days-journey-without-being-accompanied-by-a-mahram-or-her-husband-sahih-bukhari-32987Our Debate Questions:1) Is it fair to deny women the right to travel by themselves, but to allow men to do such travel?2) How would a man feel if he could not travel anywhere unless accompanied by a female mahram or his wife?]]>Wed, 06 May 2015 01:28:05 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/muhammad-famously-declared-that-women-are-deficient-in-intelligence-he-did-not-state-that-some-women-are-deficient-in-intelligence-some-men-are-deficient-in-intelligence-as-the-testimony-of-every-woman-is-worth-half-that-of-a-man-he-maligns-a﻿Consider Marie Curie. She won a Nobel Prize in Physics, and after her husband had died, a Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Unlike Muhammad, she could of course read and write. Our Debate Question: Was she deficient in intelligence?﻿

Is she "deficient in intelligence" & should her testimony be worth half that of a man?

Narrated Abu Said Al-KhudriThe Prophet said, "Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of a man?" The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind."

]]>Fri, 02 Jan 2015 19:47:37 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/to-the-male-the-equivalent-of-the-portion-of-two-females-quran-411-now-a-female-chemist-and-loving-mom-would-receive-half-the-inheritance-as-her-brother-upon-the-death-of-their-parents-is-this-fairFri, 28 Nov 2014 21:23:11 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/the-womans-contribution-to-new-lifeIn Quran 80:17-19, Allah is upset with his own creation, declaring: "Woe to man! What has made him reject Allah? From what stuff has He created him? From a sperm-drop: He has created him, and then molded him in due proportion." Now, the Messenger of God, Muhammad, knew about sperm -- he had seen his own. (Indeed, his child wife, Aisha, had to wash off his semen stains from clothing -- Bukhari, 1:229). But what is striking here is that this "message from Allah," does not mention the ovum, which is at least as important as sperm in the creation of new life.So our Debate Question is then "WHY WAS THE WOMAN'S CONTRIBUTION TO NEW HUMAN LIFE, THAT IS, THE OVUM, NOT MENTIONED BY THE OMNISCIENT ALLAH?]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2014 20:47:09 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/quran-434-women-inferior-in-need-of-guardian-is-striking-ones-wife-acceptableIn Quran 4:34 we read: "Men are in charge of women by [right of] what Allah has given one over the other and what they spend [for maintenance] from their wealth. So righteous women are devoutly obedient, guarding in [the husband's] absence what Allah would have them guard. But those [wives] from whom you fear arrogance - advise them, forsake them in bed, and strike them..." Our Debate Questions are:1) Was it wise for Allah to make men in charge of women rather than to place both men and women equally in charge? 2) Was it wise for Allah to favor one sex over the other, rather than to favor them equally?3) If the husband "fears arrogance" (or some other alleged transgression), and the wife believes she has not been arrogant (or committed some other transgression) is the husband always right and the wife always wrong?4) Why is it that the Quran in fairness never gives women the right to "strike" their husbands under certain conditions?

If a wife disagrees with her husband on whether to obey, is the wife truly always wrong?

]]>Mon, 17 Nov 2014 22:32:04 GMThttp://www.debatingislam.com/islam-women-quran-hadiths/muhammad-adultery-fornication-rapeOne of the most striking hadiths I have found is provided below:"We [Muhammad’s merry men] went out with Allah's messenger on the expedition to the Mustaliq and took captive some excellent Arab women; and we desired them for we were suffering from the absence of our wives, (but at the same time) we also desired ransom for them.So we decided to have sexual intercourse with them but by observing azl" (withdrawing the male sexual organ before emission of semen to avoid conception).But we said:"We are doing an act whereas Allah's messenger [i.e., Muhammad] is amongst us; why not ask him?"So we asked Allah's messenger and he said:"It does not matter if you do not do it, for every soul that is to be born up to the Day of Resurrection will be born". (Sahih Muslim, Vol. 2, #3371)﻿Tellingly, the role model of the Muslims, Muhammad, does not exclaim:﻿“DO NOT FORNICATE WITH THE CAPTIVES!”Nor does he exclaim to the married men:“DO NOT COMMIT ADULTERY WITH THE CAPTIVES!!”Finally, we note that he does not yell:“DO NOT RAPE THE CAPTIVES!!!”So the Debate Question is then: “Why did Muhammad not instead say, “Leave the poor captives alone!”?]]>